How to Treat (and Avoid!) Summer Skin Problems

Stop that itch!

Few things are more maddening than an itch. And summer is prime time for all kinds of creepy-crawly sensations, often accompanied by mysterious lumps, bumps, cracking, crusting, swelling, and oozing (delightful!).

"Most itching has an obvious cause, such as bug bites or dry skin," says Ronald Brancaccio, MD, director of the Skin Institute of New York and clinical professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine. "But sometimes an itch or the rash that goes with it can be hard to figure out, even if it has a straightforward cause like an allergic reaction."